Defeat the entire world with the power of one dragon!

Chapter 563 Galos: I'll do whatever I want!
The battle is over.

The sky was clear and cloudless, and the sunlight streamed down from above without obstruction, illuminating the ravaged land.

The ground was cracked, the mountains collapsed, and countless deep pits and ravines crisscrossed the landscape, as if plowed by the claws of a giant dragon. The air still retained some warmth, and you could feel a surge of heat flowing into your lungs when you breathed it.

The red iron dragon hovered in mid-air.

His body had returned to normal, and he lowered his head, his gaze calmly surveying the land.

In the distance, the sound of something cutting through the air rang out one after another.

One figure after another rushed in from all directions.

Some swooped down from the clouds, while others circled around from behind the mountain ridges. They arrived quickly, but they were all too late; the place no longer needed them.

Blue Dragon Zolaya arrived first.

Her figure first appeared on the horizon, then quickly approached. Her scales shimmered with azure light in the sunlight, like solidified seawater or a deep lake.

She circled once, then folded her wings and landed beside the red iron dragon.

Immediately afterwards, Leticia the Iron Dragon flew in from another direction.

Her scales were a deep black, as if forged from black iron, with hard lines, and every contour from head to tail tip exuded a tough temperament.

Further away, a crimson hue appeared on the horizon.

The phoenix appeared above the clouds, its body engulfed in crimson flames, leaving a long trail of fire behind it.

Once they got nearby, the flames subsided.

She revealed her magnificent figure, with crimson feathers, a long tail, and eyes that burned with an inextinguishable flame.

Subsequently, more Lords of Aura arrived.

The Amethyst Dragon Lion spread its wings and landed on a high ground on the outskirts of the battlefield. The Golden Griffin, which had reached the legendary level, followed closely behind and landed on the other side. The Blue Dragon Heriam circled in the sky, its gaze sweeping over the humans.
The lords each occupied a position, subtly surrounding the entire battlefield.

Surrounding them were also the legends of Aura from the Crimson Emperor's City.

Now, they were eager to fight, their eyes sweeping over the legendary figures who had surrendered.

This scene completely shattered the legends' hopes of escaping.

The legends of ASEAN and the South have lost their will to fight.

They landed on the ravaged land, their gaze sweeping over the legends of Aura, before looking up at the towering figure in the sky.

silence.

They just stood there, as if they were nailed to the spot.

There's no point in running away.

Is the space sealed off?
Maybe not, maybe yes, but even if not, where could it possibly go?
Resistance is tantamount to suicide.

They had witnessed the battle firsthand; amidst the light that resembled countless suns bursting forth, the powerful Grand Orders were like clay chickens and earthenware dogs before the newly awakened Red Emperor.

Atlanta is about to change.

Unless the Holden Empire intervenes, no one on the entire surface of Atlantis can withstand the light of the Crimson Emperor Azure Star.

Holden had long since stopped caring about surface affairs, or rather, he couldn't care less even if he wanted to. The Empire's attention was always focused on deeper threats, and surface conflicts were nothing more than minor squabbles in their eyes.

In this situation, where can one escape to?

If it were a battle between legions, some soldiers might be so moved by the atmosphere of grief that they would rather die than surrender. When surrounded by comrades, when the battle flags are flying and the bugles are sounding, people will make choices that they would not normally make.

But the legends are very clear-headed.

They were not soldiers; they were legends who had lived for a long time, witnessed too much life and death, and knew that sometimes, surrendering was the best option, wiser than any struggle.

The blue dragon Zora took flight, creating a gust of wind.

She moved closer to the red iron dragon, her gaze sweeping over its body. She could clearly see the cracks in its scales, the shattered claws, and the wounds still burning with flames.

"My King".

Blue Dragon lowered his head slightly and said, "I'm late. It's a real pity that I couldn't witness your heroic fighting spirit. On the way here, I saw countless sun-like rays illuminating the entire sky."

"At that time, I was thinking, what kind of power could produce such a radiance?"

"Later I understood, that was your power."

At this point, the blue dragon's head and tail had exceeded thirty meters in length, and it had entered the ranks of the legendary. Its scales were even shinier than before, and tiny arcs of electricity danced on them, jumping from its shoulder blades to its back, and from its back to its tail, making a soft crackling sound.

Galos lowered his head and glanced at her.

His gaze swept over the blue dragon, from her shimmering scales to the leaping arcs of electricity, finally settling on her eyes.

"The teleportation array is malfunctioning?"

he asks.

Blue Dragon nodded.

"Yes, hidden spatial locks have been set up around my territory, completely sealing off the entire area."

"I tried to activate the teleportation array, but I couldn't locate it at all and couldn't sense the direction of the royal city. In the end, I could only fly here."

As she spoke, a hint of annoyance flashed in her eyes.

"If we had discovered it earlier, we might have been able to arrive before the battle ended."

On the other side, Leticia, the Iron Dragon, nodded and said, "The space around my territory has also been sealed off, and it only targets teleportation above the legendary level. It is completely undetectable under normal circumstances."

She paused, then continued, "The other lords are probably in the same situation, with spatial blockades around their respective territories."

“Those people were indeed well-prepared, and their preparations were quite thorough; they had taken our support into account.”

At that moment, the phoenix spread its wings and flew in.

She folded her wings and landed beside Garros. Then, she tilted her head and looked at the red iron dragon, her eyes sparkling.

"However, these people did not expect that the Red Emperor's power could ignore all conspiracies and tricks. In the face of absolute power, everything else is meaningless."

As she spoke, Angela approached the dragon with a grin.

“Garos, you have become even more magnificent.”

Her gaze swept over the red iron dragon as she said, "When will you come to visit my territory? Now that you're ready, you might be able to unravel the mysteries of Nirvana. I can let you study my body, in any way you like."

The flames on the phoenix's body leaped and danced, full of excitement.

She likes beautiful things.

There are many kinds of beauty. Some beauty lies in form, some in color, and some in temperament. It varies from person to person.

In the eyes of the Phoenix, the beauty of Garus was the ultimate blend of power and majesty, making it almost impossible for her to look away.

It's worth mentioning that their first union was somewhat of an accident.

It began with Galus's exploration of the mystery of the phoenix's rebirth.

When Angela mentions studying Nirvana, her implication is quite clear.

"Soon, after my body has recovered."

Galos said he accepted the invitation.

Upon hearing this, Angela's flames danced even more joyfully.

"Ok, I will wait for you."

She said this, then stepped back a distance, happily preening her feathers, and stopped bothering them.

At that moment, another figure flew up from below.

Iron Dragon Gorton flapped its wings and landed in front of Red Iron Dragon.

His scales also bore the marks of battle, with cracks and wounds in many places. However, his mental state was good, his breathing was stable, and there were no signs of serious injury.

"My dear brother."

His gaze swept over Galos, then he grinned: "When I saw you wake up, I knew those insects' plans had failed."

"They thought they could do something while you were just waking up, but in reality, they could only give you a little boost and warm up."

"It won't be long before the land of Atlantis is shrouded in dragon wings."

"Hehe, your title of King of the North needs to be changed. The North is no longer worthy of you."

Tie Long made no attempt to hide his excitement.

He enjoyed a comfortable life, liked to sleep on piles of gold coins, savor various delicacies, and stroll leisurely in his territory. His ambition was not as fiery as Sorog's.

However, he is, after all, Iron Dragon.

Almost all Iron Dragons dream of an empire and yearn to see the day when the dragon race regains its glory.

Seeing Aura grow stronger and stronger, and his brother becoming so powerful that he could crush the Grandmasters, he couldn't help but feel a sense of joy.

"Titles and territories are merely byproducts of power."

Red Iron Dragon said calmly.

"No need to rush, they will naturally gather towards me, just like water flows downhill. We are prepared, and when the time is right, everything will fall into place."

Gorton nodded.

He turned to look into the distance, his gaze sweeping over the still-burning woodlands and collapsed mountains.

"By the way, I noticed a coronal lone run."

He said, "It was that archer. She escaped decisively and was extremely fast, like an arrow shot out. Before we could react, she broke through the blockade and disappeared in the blink of an eye."

Red Iron Dragon's gaze swept into the distance.

In the usual view, the figure of the wanderer has long since disappeared, leaving only the rolling mountains and clear sky.

The mountains rise and fall, the forests are dense, and the rivers meander; everything seems normal.

However, Garos's Eye of True Sight glowed slightly, its gaze piercing through the barriers of space and mountains, firmly locking onto the fleeing figure.

He could see her trajectory.

The ranger was speeding away, heading in a clear direction away from the Ryan Plateau, fleeing in an even more distant direction.

"Let her run for a while."

"Garos said."

His voice was calm, as if he were talking about something trivial.

Gorton paused for a moment, then grinned.

"understood."

He said, “The Kingdom of Latona is there, and all of Atlantis will become ours. Where can she run to? Even if she runs to the ends of the earth, as long as her kingdom still exists, she can’t escape.”

Gorton's understanding is somewhat flawed.

He thought that Garros meant that he could use the Kingdom of Latona to blackmail Celine, leaving her nowhere to escape.

Galos offered no explanation.

His gaze shifted from the distance to the ground below.

Elvie has captured the Crown of Magic.

Afra was unconscious, her head drooping, her hair disheveled, and her face pale to the point of being almost transparent. Her overall condition was much better than that of a Triadic Grand Master; she had not suffered any serious injuries. Her unconsciousness was mainly due to the destruction of the magic tower and the backlash from the spell.

In fact, even if Afra had fled immediately, Garus wasn't entirely confident he could have stopped her.

She is, after all, a Grand Spellcaster with various means of self-preservation. If she is determined to escape, even if Garus can catch up, it will take him a lot of time and effort.

But perhaps it was because she realized that unless she could completely abandon the people of her kingdom and flee Atlantis, she would be in trouble.

Otherwise, there's no point in running away.

Perhaps it was because she was too confident in her spells, feeling that the completed spells would pose a sufficient threat, or perhaps it was for other reasons.

In short, she chose to go all in and construct that massive spell.

As a result, he was interrupted by Galos and suffered a severe backlash.

“In my presence, spellcasters can’t really utilize their advantages much.”

Garus clenched his claws, thinking to himself.

The name "Claw of Destruction" was not coined out of thin air.

It can directly grasp the effect of a spell, and then, as long as Galos has enough power, it can shatter the spells that attack it as if they were physical objects.

For this reason alone, he exercised extreme restraint towards spellcasters.

His ranged attacks are now incredibly fast and destructive; each of his dragon energy projectiles is like a miniature sun, and the power of their explosions is enough to destroy any defensive spell.

In a sense, he can be considered a Grand Spellcaster of the Evocation class who does not need to chant or cast spells beforehand.

As for Afra, although she lost all her advantages in front of Garos, the value of a spellcaster often lies not in combat.

The rarity of Grand Spellcasters surpasses even that of Fate in some respects.

Galos withdrew his gaze and looked in the other direction.

The body of the Triple Grand Varta had shrunk back to its normal human form, lying broken and mangled in the deep pit.

His body was almost torn in two, a bloody mess, bones broken, internal organs vaguely visible, and he was barely breathing. His life force was intermittently leaking from the wounds and quickly dissipating into the air.

However, it's not completely dead yet.

"That Triple Crown."

Gordon followed his gaze and said.

“He’s not dead yet. Besides, the Sanctuary has locked onto him and can try to collect his soul at any time.”

He paused, then continued, "However, unless a Heroic Spirit Contract is signed in advance, it is difficult for the Sanctuary to compete with other planes for a Grand Soul like this."

“Once a Grand Soul leaves the body, it will be instantly absorbed.”

"The soul of the Iron Crown who died earlier was instantly absorbed by other planes as soon as it left his body; we didn't have time to capture it at all."

The material plane is the foundation of all planes; they are independent of each other, yet they are closely interconnected.

Many beings from different planes are formed from the reincarnation of souls from the material world.

Some planes specifically absorb certain types of souls, while others accept all comers. However, the importance attached to Grand Souls is roughly the same across all planes; everyone wants them.

Given the current strength of the Holy Temple, it is not yet capable of intercepting it halfway.

Galos stared at the remains of the Grand Servant, lost in thought.

Then, he folded his wings and slowly descended.

The enormous dragon body landed on the ground, causing the ground to tremble slightly, pebbles to jump, and dust to rise. It strode towards the deep pit where Varta was, leaving deep claw marks with each step, sinking into the scorched earth and rubble.

At the bottom of the pit, Varta's presence was so faint as to be almost imperceptible.

His half-body lay among the rubble, covered in blood, his life force flickering intermittently, sustaining him. His eyes were closed, and his face was expressionless.

The moment the red iron dragon landed, his eyelids trembled slightly, then slowly opened.

The immense power of the dragon, so close at hand, felt like an invisible mountain pressing down on him, waking him from his unconsciousness.

Varta's gaze fell on the Red Iron Dragon.

His eyes were cloudy and his pupils were dilated, but he could still make out the figure in front of him.

His lips moved, emitting a faint sound.

"You... won."

Red Iron Dragon lowered his head and looked down at him.

"I know."

He said.

Varta's lips twitched slightly, it was hard to tell whether he wanted to laugh or say something.

His gaze shifted from the red iron dragon to the sky, where the bright sunlight streamed down, illuminating his face.

"I won't regret it."

He spoke, his voice broken and intermittent.

"Rather than die of old age, I might as well... take a chance. If I lose, I lose. At least I tried."

He paused, then repeated, "Although I lost, I don't regret it."

These words seemed to be addressed to Garus, but also to himself.

Hong Tielong shook his head slightly: "No, you'll regret it."

Varta's gaze returned to him, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes.

If you're going to die anyway, what is there to regret?
He thought to himself.

"After you die, Aura will wipe out the Kingdom of Farrell inch by inch."

"Garos said."

His voice was unhurried, as if he were describing the day's weather.

“Kill all who resist, regardless of gender or age. Anyone who dares to take up arms to fight will face certain death. The land of Farrell will be a river of blood and a field of corpses.”

Varta's eyes widened slightly.

"Those people who once admired you and trusted you."

Hong Tielong continued, “Those who regarded you as a hero, as hope, those who cheered for you and prayed for you, will become slaves, assigned to various mines and construction sites, doing the hardest and most tiring work, wearing shackles, working under the whip until they die from exhaustion.”

"Their descendants were also slaves for generations, relegated to the lowest rung of the entire Atlantis."

"When they think of you, they will curse your name and your decisions."

“They will say that if it weren’t for you, if it weren’t for you launching that attack, we wouldn’t be in this situation. They will hate you, hate you more than anyone else.”

Varta shook his head slightly.

His lips moved, emitting a faint sound.

"You...you won't."

Although his voice was weak, his thoughts remained clear.

“I know you… are not such a violent dragon. You are not an evil dragon and would not do such a thing. Moreover, the Metal Dragon Domain… will not stand idly by. They will not allow you to slaughter the innocent and enslave civilians.”

Galos asked with amusement, "How did you know?"

A few seconds later, Varta spoke.

"Because you are not a dragon."

He repeated.

Varta organized the attack, but it was precisely because of this that he knew Garros very well, spending a lot of time summarizing his life and analyzing Garros's style of doing things.

He claimed that the attack was intended to prevent the dragon from unleashing a catastrophe.

But he knew very well that he only wanted the Tears of Immortality for his own future, regardless of good or evil.

Preventing disasters and protecting the continent were just excuses. He simply didn't want to die and wanted to defy fate.

Across from him, Red Iron Dragon narrowed his eyes slightly.

His vertical pupils turned into cold, indifferent lines, like two sharp knives piercing Varta's eyes.

“You seem to know me very well,” he said.

Varta did not speak.

His gaze did not waver; even at this moment, he still tried his best to maintain the dignity befitting a Grand Master.

The red iron dragon took a step forward.

The ground trembled as the enormous dragon moved, blocking out the sunlight and shrouding Varta in shadow.

“Listen, I learned a lesson when I was very young.”

Hong Tielong spoke slowly.

"When a creature is weak, it must learn to disguise itself and deceive everyone."

"Like a small animal in a jungle surrounded by predators, you have to learn to hide your sharp teeth and claws, learn to show weakness, and make other predators think that you are not worth their attention. Only in this way can you survive and slowly grow stronger."

"It will only reveal its true colors when it becomes strong enough."

His voice was deep as he continued, "I was like this when I was weak."

"Hide my strength, show weakness to others, let those who think they are stronger than me think that I am nothing special and not worth wasting time on. Let them look down on me and ignore me, giving me time and space to grow."

He paused, then changed the subject.

"But now, things are different."

He lowered his head even further, his eyes fixed on Varta, a fierce glint in them.

"Now I can do what I want without having to endure or pretend. Now I don't need to hide anymore, I don't need to show weakness anymore, and I don't need to care about anyone's opinion anymore."

"I can do whatever I want."

Varta remained silent.

He lay among the rubble, gazing at the dragon's eye so close to his face. After a few seconds, he spoke again.

"The attack... was planned by me."

"It was all my idea, and had nothing to do with ordinary people. They knew nothing; they were just ordinary people living their own lives, unaware of what I was doing."

“But taking your anger out on the innocent will damage your authority.”

"A true king should only punish the guilty, not implicate the innocent."

"innocent?"

Galos shook his head slightly.

"The ordinary people you're talking about are the ones who enjoy the benefits you've brought them."

"The Kingdom of Farrell prospers under your protection. Merchants make a fortune, and common people live in peace and contentment. They eat your bread, live in your peace, and enjoy the benefits brought by your power."

"They can share in the fruits of your victory, and naturally they must also bear the cost of your defeat."

"This is not displaced anger, but simply the cause and effect."

Varta remained silent.

He looked up at the sky again, at the sunlight and the drifting clouds.

The sky was blue, the clouds were white, and the sunshine was warm.

If it weren't for lying among the rubble, covered in blood, with a giant dragon standing before him ready to kill him, this would have been a beautiful day.

"What does that have to do with me?"

After a long silence, he spoke again, but his tone had changed; he was completely indifferent.

"I cannot defy fate. I am going to die. What does it matter to me if the world is flooded after my death? What does it matter to me if Farrell is wiped out and those people become slaves?"

"I'm already dead, I don't know anything anymore."

Varta paused, a cold smile creeping onto his lips.

"I know... what you want to do."

"You want to turn me into a heroic spirit, so that I can dwell in your sanctuary and serve you."

"A Grand-rank Heroic Spirit should be very valuable to you, right? He can be used as combat power, an advisor, or a tool for you to expand your power."

"But I'm telling you...it's absolutely impossible."

"I still have a chance to start over," Varta said.

"I believe that with the strength of my soul and my will, even if I have to start all over again in another dimension after reincarnation, I can become a strong person again."

"It's simply a matter of forgetting the past and starting from scratch."

"But so what? If I can become a Grand Master once, I can do it again."

Something new ignited in his eyes.

--hope.

"Perhaps... I can still embark on the path of destiny, or even achieve immortality. What I cannot do in this world, I may be able to do in other worlds."

"At that time, I might remember my memories of this life, I might remember you, and I might come looking for you."

"I might even thank you, thank you for killing me and giving me a chance to start over."

The thought that there would be another chance after reincarnation made death less frightening.

As Varta spoke, he even laughed.

Seeing that Galos could not get what he wanted, he felt to some extent that he had also 'won,' or at least that he hadn't lost so completely.

Galos knew what he was thinking and wasn't annoyed.

He grinned, revealing a row of sharp teeth: "In that case, I'll have to use you as a practice subject."

Before he could finish speaking, his sharp claws reached out and gripped the already dying body.

puff.

A muffled thud.

Varta's body was completely crushed.

Flesh and blood flew everywhere, bones broke, internal organs were shattered, and the life force and the energy of the sun's soul mingled together, surging out from the shattered body and dissipating in the air, turning into specks of light.

At the same time, an invisible wave surged forth from the shattered body.

soul.

The soul of Varta.

It is countless times stronger than the soul of an ordinary person; it is solid, profound, and radiates a faint light.

It burst forth from its shattered body, responding to the call of the outer plane, and instantly began to fade, about to disappear from the material world and be reincarnated.

But just as it was about to disappear...

A dragon claw blocked its way.

The Red Emperor's claws clenched tightly, forcefully seizing the illusory soul.

"what?!"

Varta's soul trembled violently.

He sensed the presence of the dragon's claw.

How can it be?

The soul is illusory and untouchable.

But the Red Emperor's claws had indeed seized him.

Silver light shone from the tips of its claws.

The light gradually enveloped Varta's soul, transforming him from an illusion into a tangible reality, from untouchable to perceptible and graspable.

It's like invisible mist condensing into water, or like an illusory shadow being given a physical form.

Having undergone this period of dormancy and growth, Garus's Claw of Annihilation has found a wider range of applications.

Capturing the soul is one of them.

Varta's soul trembled once more.

He realized the danger and began to struggle, trying to break free of the dragon's claws.

But Garos's power was too great, and he was unable to resist. The silver light was like chains, binding him firmly in the dragon's claws.

At that moment, his body suddenly became illusory again.

The forces from the outer plane sensed resistance.

The force emanated from the depths of a distant plane, pulling at him, trying to snatch him from the dragon's claws.

Red Iron Dragon's muscles bulged, increasing his power.

His claws clenched, the silver light intensified, and the power of the plane increased accordingly.

They acted simultaneously on Varta's soul, causing him to be sometimes solid and sometimes illusory.

When solidified, silver light shimmered; when illusory, the power of the plane surged, the two forces tug at, contend for, and tear at him.

The spirit flickered rapidly, sometimes bright and sometimes dim.

At the same time, as if being pulled and twisted by two large hands, cracks appeared on his soul, very fine and shallow, but gradually increasing in number.

"Reincarnation? You don't have that chance."

"Garos said."

"No!"

Varta's soul let out a silent roar.

He felt a tearing pain, and his soul wailed.

But this was to no avail; the cracks on the spirit body multiplied and spread throughout its entire body.

Then, click!
A crisp sound.

His soul was crushed to pieces, scattering in all directions.

The red iron dragon's claws shot out again.

He moved quickly; before the fragments could fly far, they were all captured and gathered together. A silver light shone, enveloping all the fragments within it, and then he clenched it tightly.

In his claws, fragments of the soul were compressed, squeezed, and fused together.

Ultimately, they coalesced into a solid crystal.

A Grand-grade spiritual crystal, containing the essence of a Grand-grade soul.

"Your skill level is a bit lacking."

Garus played with the spirit crystal, seemingly lost in thought, then moved it from one claw to the other, observing its shape.

"If I could solidify it instantly, I could forcibly seize this soul instead of tearing it apart. I'm still lacking; I need more practice."

"However, this is for the best."

"Although we didn't get the complete soul, this spirit crystal is still a good gain. It can be given to the Holy Temple to absorb and greatly enhance the heroic spirits under its command."

Galos thought to himself.

There was silence all around.

All the legends witnessed this scene.

They saw the Red Emperor seize Varta's soul, and then the powerful Grand Soul was crushed, eventually turning into a crystal.

The sun is shining brightly now.

However, the legends of ASEAN and the South Pacific felt a chill run down their spines.

Space, magic, soul
Is there anything that the Red Emperor's Claw cannot interfere with?
They witnessed firsthand how even the once-high and mighty Grand Masters couldn't escape their fate, not even their souls.

Reincarnation? A fresh start? Impossible.

From that time on, Varta ceased to exist in the world, leaving not a trace.

The legends of Aura didn't react much.

In their view, it was not surprising that the great Red Emperor could do such a thing.

They were already used to the Red Emperor's various incredible and illogical actions.

So what if he can capture souls? He's the Red Emperor, their king. What can't he do?
Red Iron Dragon looked around, his gaze sweeping over the legendary figures.

"Death is not the end."

He paused slightly, then calmly said, "I am."

Then, the dragon raised its head and looked in a certain direction.

He extended his sharp claws and grabbed forward.

Tear!

Space was torn apart like a curtain.

A pitch-black rift appeared before him, its edges shimmering with silver light, forming an entrance large enough for a dragon to pass through.

The red-iron dragon leaped into it.

The crack behind him healed rapidly and disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving only slightly distorted air.

And so, the Crimson Emperor Cangxing vanished from everyone's sight.

It seems like an opportunity to escape has arrived.

The legends from the southeast and southwest exchanged glances, but ultimately made no further moves. They wisely gave up resistance and allowed the legends of Aura to capture them.

Resistance is pointless.

Running away is pointless.

If they can't even escape the championship, where can they run to?

the other side.

Celine is running away.

Her figure moved like an arrow, darting through the sky, each time covering a great distance.

This is one of the skills of the Grand Ranger, which transforms the user into an arrow and instantly shoots it in the selected direction. The speed of the arrow is as fast as the movement speed, even faster than some short-to-medium distance spatial teleportation.

She had been running for a while.

But she dared not stop.

Occasionally, he would glance back to see if there were any pursuers.

When countless sun-like dragon energy blasts burst forth from the Red Emperor's claws, she lost all will to fight.

She noticed that the Red Emperor was laughing loudly, but it was not the joy of a victor, nor the ferocity of a killer, but a kind of...pleasant laughter.

It's like watching ants crawl under your feet, laughing as you casually crush a few of them.

"run."

She said to herself.

"Run as far as possible."

She crossed the last mountain range, and below her, rolling hills and dense forests stretched out. A great river meandered through the landscape, its clear water shimmering in the sunlight, flowing from west to east with no end in sight, its banks lined with lush forests.

Finally, they reached the outskirts of the Ryan Plateau.

The wandering knight looked back.

In the direction of the Ryan Plateau, the sky was clear and the sun shone brightly. There were no signs of battle, only rolling mountains, undulating hills, and the occasional drifting clouds.

Everything was so calm, as if nothing had happened.

She was panting heavily.

"They survived..."

Celine's tense state relaxed slightly, and a smile appeared on her face.

She has already made up her mind.

After escaping this dangerous situation, they immediately took their families and fled the war-torn land of Atlantis, seeking a suitable plane or other material world to start a new life.

With a rank of Grand Master, as long as one is careful, one can live well anywhere.

But at that moment...

stab.

The sound of tearing cloth rang out.

Suddenly, a crack appeared in the space in front of her.

The fissure was pitch black, its edges shimmering with silver light, as if it had been torn apart from the inside by something. It expanded rapidly, growing larger and wider, until it formed a rift large enough for a dragon to pass through.

Something is protruding from the crack.

Cracked claws, yet still exuding power.

Then comes the second one.

A pair of sharp claws gripped the edge of the crack and tore it apart forcefully.

The majestic and imposing body of the dragon emerged from the crack.

The movements were swift and decisive, without any hesitation.

The red iron dragon hovered in front of Celine, its outstretched wings blocking out the sunlight and enveloping her in shadow.

Celine's body stiffened.

She still held her longbow in her hand, and had plenty of strength within her. She could draw the bow and shoot an arrow, or transform into an arrow and fly away, using various ranger skills.

But she didn't move.

She looked into the dragon's eye and could see herself reflected within it.

Insignificant, pathetic, fearful.

The reflection reminded her of how she felt when she was still weak and facing terrifying beasts.

"Kneel down, or be crushed by me. There is no third option."

A deep, resonant voice came from the dragon.

The sun shines brightly, and the shadows of the trees sway gently.

The knight-errant readily knelt down and prostrated himself beneath the dragon's wings.

It wasn't just a simple kneeling; her forehead touched the ground, her hands stretched forward, and her entire body almost pressed against the ground, demonstrating through her actions that she had completely given up resistance and surrendered completely.

"A smart choice."

Red Iron Dragon looked down at her and said.

(End of this chapter)